Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, has knocked Girona's El Celler
de Can Roca from the number-one spot. It's also the first-ever
Italian restaurant to top the list. Chef Massimo Bottura took to the stage to
accept the award, stopping to hug the Roca brothers, who are now
placed at number two. "Culture is our most important ingredient,"
said Bottura. "It's all about hard work."

The highest placed Australian chef on the list is Newcastle-born
Brett Graham. His London restaurant, The Ledbury, comes in at
number 14, the highest UK restaurant on the list.

Melbourne's Attica, number 32 in 2015, dropped a spot to
33, but was awarded the title of Best Restaurant in Australasia. "I
think any year we see an Australian restaurant on the list is a big
win," said GT's deputy editor and chief restaurant critic,
Pat Nourse, and chair of the voting panel for Oceania and
Australasia.

Australia's king of Thai food, David Thompson's Bangkok
restaurant, Nahm, placed at number 37.

"Look at the Australians and the Australian restaurants on the
list - Attica, Brae, Quay, The Ledbury, Burnt Ends, Nahm - and
you're looking at a more diverse and exciting mix of places than
any other nation is fielding right now," said Nourse. "I think it
says great things about food and culture in Australia."

Absent from this year's list is Sydney restaurant Sepia, who last year took out the award
for One to Watch. This year that title was awarded to Tokyo-born
chef Zaiyu Hasegawa and his Tokyo restaurant, Jimbocho Den.

Alain Passard, of L'Arpège in Paris, accepted the Lifetime
Achievement award to the first standing ovation of the night. "This
is the best job in the world," he said.

In other international developments, The Clove Club in
Shoreditch, London, was awarded the Highest New Entry Award,
débuting at number 26. Eleven Madison Park in New York took out the
Art of Hospitality award, and Noma in Copenhagen, placed number
three on the list in 2015, dropped to number five.